The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention.
For many years, people have used bodies of water for recreational and therapeutic uses. More recently, manufactured “bodies of water” have included hot tubs generally made out of wood staves and generally circular in shape, fiberglass, and acrylic spas of various shapes, and in-ground and aboveground pools. For purposes of this application, “hot tub” includes fiberglass and acrylic spas, hot tubs traditionally made from wood staves, and other spas, tubs and pools for holding water and people.
In addition to the benefits and enjoyment of sitting in a hot tub filled with heated water, some hot tubs are used for exercise. As part of the therapeutic use of these bodies of water, people have adapted them for various forms of exercise, which includes running in place and other aerobic exercises. The increased drag provided by the water serves to make these forms of exercise quite effective while the buoyancy of the water reduces the amount of impact, making aquatic exercise safer than some other forms of exercise.
Acrylic and fiberglass spas generally have molded seats that are immovable. Thus, these forms of hot tubs are not readily conducive to the exercise mentioned since the immovable seats may take up a large area of the hot tub. This is true even when not being used for exercise. In addition, molded seats provide no adjustment for the size of the person using the seat or how deep the person wishes to sit in the water. Other hot tubs have no seats and allow for the exercise mentioned. However, the lack of seats limits the use of the hot tub to exercise and does not permit the user to assume a seated position when relaxing.